Checkrein attachment.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICEA CHECKREIN ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed November 10V, 1904. Serial No. 232,095.

To @ZZ whom it panty concern:

Be it known that l, LOUIS MORETTI, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Santa Cruz, in the county `of Santa Cruz and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Checkrein Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an attachment which is especially designed for use in connection with a harness-checkrein for horses.

It consists of a spring attachment for the checkrein and means for locking and releasing the spring, so that the horses head may be either held up or relieved and allowed to move forward. f It also comprises details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the Aaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an end elevation, partly in section, of myv invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of drum-shaft.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which when in use holds the oheckrein and the horses head in the desired position. When it is desirable to release the horse from the tension of the checkrein, it may be done by the occupant of the carriage without leaving his seat, and when it is desired to again check up the horses head it can be done in a similar manner.

The attachment may be made to any suitable part of the harness. In the present case A represents the harness-saddle, having the terret-rings 2, through which the reins ordinai-ily pass. Mounted upon this saddle is a framework, casing, or support 3.

4 isa shaft turnable within the casing 3 and having fixed to it a drum 5, around the outer periphery of which the checkrein or a strap 6, connecting therewith, is coiled, this strap having sufficient length to allow the horses head to be extended as far as may be desired and the drum being of sufficient capacity to allow the surplus of the strap to be coiled upon the -drum within the casing when the horses head is held as high as may be desired when driving.

Within the drum 5 is located a coiled spring 7 one end of which is secured to the casing and the other to the shaft 4, which carries the drum 5, so that when the shaft is held stationary a rotation of the drum to allow the strap 6 to uncoil and be extended will correspondingly wind up the spring and produce the tension which when the strap or checkrein is again released will serve to wind it upon the drum within the casing and correspond- .ingly shorten'the check. The mechanism by which this release is effected is as follows: One end of the shaft 4 is made with an interlocking device, as at 8, and this projects slightly beyond the casing. 9 is a lever fulcrumed, as shown at 10, and bent so that one end projects over the interlocking portion 8, and this lever is actuated by a spring, as shown at 11, so that its interlocking end l2 will normally engage with the part 8 of the pin or shaft 4 and will thus prevent the turning of the latter. The shaft being thus held, it will be seen that the drum, which is Xed to it, cannot revolve, and the strap connected with the checkrein and wound upon the drum will be held firmly in place as long as the lever and shaft are engaged. The longer arm of the lever 9 is upturned, as shown at 98, and when it is desired to disengage the inner end of the lever from the interlocking portion 8 of the shaft 4 it may be done by simply swinging one of the reins over the upturned end 9, and as the rein passes through the terret 2 it forms an angle and such a leverage upon the end of the lever that by pulling upon the rein the lever -will be turned to one side suiiiciently to disengage it from the shaft. This allows the shaft and drum to turn freely, and the horse moving his `head forward will pull the checkrein out as far as may be required. Thus when the driver wishes to water theV animal, by driving up to the watering-trough and releasing the checkrein the horse can advance his head sufliciently to drink, or if the horse is left standing vat any time the same release may be effected. In order to move the shaft 4 and the disengaging device out of engagement with the end of the lever when the horse has advanced his head, I have shown the shaft as being screw-threaded at 14 and turnable in a correspondingly-threaded portion of the casing at the end opposite to the interlock 8, so that when the shaft is released from the lever and is turned around it will also advance through the screw-threaded nut until the interlocking part A is below the level of the side of the casing and in such position that the end l2 of the lever cannot engage with it. When it is required to again check the horse, it is only necessary to pull upon the reins, thus causing the horse to lift his head, and the spring 7 will turn the drum and the shaft, thus coiling up the strap 6. At the same IOO rio

time the rotation of the shaft 4 on its return movement Will advance it in the screwthreaded nut until the end 8 is sufficiently projected to again be engaged by the locking portion 12 of the lever 9, and the check will then be held in its normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a checkrein, of a spring-actuated revoluble drum upon which the checkrein may be coiled, a shaft fixed to the drum and revoluble therewith, means for locking the drum and holding the check in position said means comprising engageable members one of which is carried by the shaft, and means whereby the shaft is given an endwise movement simultaneously with its rotation, to remove its locking member out of the range of action of the companion locking member.

2. The combination with a checkrein, of a spring-actuated revoluble drum upon which the checkrein may be coiled, a shaft fixed to the drum and having one end provided With a locking member, a second 'locking member within the control of the driving-rein and adapted to engage the locking member of the shaft, means for imparting a longitudinal movement to the shaft simultaneously with its rotation whereby the locking members are held out of operative position during the movement of the shaft in one direction-and are brought into operative position during the movement of the shaft in an opposite direction.

3. 'Ihe combination with a checkrein, of a springactuated revoluble drum, a casing therefor, a shaft to which thedrum is fixed said shaft having one end provided with a locking member and having the other end threaded in the casing whereby it is moved longitudinally simultaneously with its rotation, and a movable locking member within the control of the driving-reins and adapted to engage the locking member on the shaft.

4. The combination with a checkrein of a spring-actuated revoluble drum upon which the checkrein is coiled, a shaft for said drum, a means for locking the drum and holding the check in position, a device for unlocking the drum and allowing the checkrein to be eX- tended, said device consisting of a fulcrumed means for disengaging the lever therefrom.

5. The combination with a checkrein of a spring-actuated revoluble drum upon which the checkrein may be coiled, a shaft for the drum, and a means for locking the drum and holding the check in position said means consisting of a fulcrumed spring-actuated level' having one arm adapted to engage and lock the drum-shaft and the other arm adapted to be engaged by one of the driving-reins.

6. A checkrein attachment consisting of a drum around which the checkrein is coiled, a shaft to which the drum is fixed, a casing within which the drum-is inclosed and through which the shaft extends, a coiled spring having one end fixed to the casing and the other end tothe drum-shaft, an interlocking projection formed at one end of the drum-shaft, a spring-actuated lever fulcrumed to the casing having one end adapted to engage and interlock with the drum-shaft, and the other end adapted to be engaged and moved by one of the driving-reins to disengage it from the shaft.

7. A checkrein attachment consisting of a drum upon which the rein is coiled, a shaft to which the drum is fixed, said shaft having a screw-threaded end, a casing within which the drum is inclosed, said casing having a screw-threaded journal through which the correspondingly-screw-threaded end of the drum-shaft is turnable, a locking device upon the opposite end of the shaft, a spring connecting with the drum-shaft and by which the latter is normally turned to project its interlocking end, a spring-actuated lever fulcrumed to the casing having one end adapted to engage the projecting end of the shaft, and the other to be engaged by one of the drivingreins so as to release the shaft and allow the checkrein to be uncoiled, said movement also turning the shaft and advancing it through the screw-threads of the casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS MORETTI.

Witnesses:

S. H. Nonnen, HENRY P. TRIooU; 

